Led light very bright

[Rodolfo Garcia]

how's it going guys? Today i just setup my Galaxy Hydro over my 20 gallon tank and it looks very nice but the light is so bright like literally it makes my eyes uncomfortable. I want to keep corals so i wouldn't like to get rid of it. The aquarium is in my bedroom. I have it dimmed down a lot and its still very bright, is this normal? Are led lights supposed to be this strong? I have bluelights at 20 and white lights at 10.

 

[Rodolfo Garcia]

The knobs are set at 20 for blues and 10 for whites.

 

[McMullen]

Yes.

Use a lux meter to guide you.

 

[Rodolfo Garcia]

Yes.

Use a lux meter to guide you.

Is a lux meter necessary? Im a college student on a budget. Is this harmful to our eyes? Will coral still grow if i have it set at the lowest possible?

 

[McMullen]

Galactica is a free app.
Don't trust yours eyes.
Do a little reading here on this site.
@saltyfilmfolks may chime in and has superior knowledge in this area.

 

[Rodolfo Garcia]

Galactica is a free app.
Don't trust yours eyes.
Do a little reading here on this site.
@saltyfilmfolks may chime in and has superior knowledge in this area.

I will download the app and see how it goes.
Im new to the forum , sorry for asking so many things. This is my first saltwater tank and i wouldn't like to jeopardize the life of any corals and of the fish. The light seems very harsh on my eyes and i can only imagine how the fish must feel. What do you mean by don't trust my eyes ? Lol

 

[McMullen]

Ask lots of questions. This is a very friendly forum and members love sharing!

I'm keeping my replies short because their are true experts on the matter. Saltyfilmfolks has written some great post on this subject, as have others.

 

[Tautog]

I started with LEDs , and still use them. I don't hang them, they sit on top of my canopy. Whites are at 40%, and Blues are at 100%. I always start new corals in a rack on the bottom for at least a month. I lose corals by second-guessing, trying to increase growth rate by adding more light. T-5's are the other way to go, but the extra heat will also heat the water, built in fans or not. Commercial coral vendors are switching to LEDs to save $$$$$$$. There's the big difference, $$$$, and they can last for years with no product issues. Most guys using T-5's or MH, also run a chiller, air-conditioning for your fish. Your on a budget, I run a cost effective tank, and with all the corals it isn't a cheap tank. All that purple stuff in my pic is Coraline, a great indicator to start adding corals, and that your system is maturing, I'm only running 2 years, but I've had tons of Coraline since 6 months, but I also started with quality Live Rock.